Bridging the Gap
by Dayzd23
Summary: Kate is forced to become human and sift through her emotions once Roman is offered an ISA assignment overseas.


"Bridging the Gap"  
  
(Kate's office)  
  
Kate: (coldly) Can I help you?  
  
Roman: Boy I sure hope so.  
  
Kate: What is it?  
  
Roman: I just got a call from Shane.  
  
Kate: Oh my God, Billie---?  
  
Roman: No, no, no. It has nothing to do with Billie. She's fine.  
  
Kate: Well then what?  
  
Roman: Well, it was a business call. As you know, I used to be heavily into the ISA. I was gone for years working on cases all over the world. I loved it. It was just one intense experience after another.  
  
Kate: You sound like a travel agent, Roman. Get to the point.  
  
Roman: Ya' know, can you just for one second pretend to give a damn about me?  
  
Kate: (standing up) OK, this conversation is over. We've had it too many times.  
  
Roman: You're right. We have, and now we'll never have to do it again.  
  
Kate: What?  
  
Roman: You've just answered my question, Kate. (goes to exit)  
  
Kate: Wait a minute. What question?  
  
Roman: I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow. That's what I came to tell you.  
  
Kate: You're---you're leaving? For how long?  
  
Roman: Indefinitely. (goes to exit again)  
  
Kate: Wait, Roman, come back. I---  
  
Roman: What Kate? We're finished here.  
  
Kate: No, no we're not. You said you had a question that I answered, but you didn't ask me anything.  
  
Roman: I came here to see if there was any reason for me to stay, and you made it quite clear that there isn't.  
  
Kate: I---I don't know what to say.  
  
Roman: You don't have to say anything. You're good at that. (leaves)  
  
Kate: (shocked) Oh my God. What have I done?  
  
  
  
(Roman at home, packing, knock at the door)  
  
Kate: Hi.  
  
Roman: (emotionless) Hi.  
  
Kate: Can I come in?  
  
Roman: What do you want Kate? Come to take a few final pot shots at me?  
  
Kate: Can I come in or not?  
  
Roman: Fine.  
  
Kate: Um, God I don't even know how to put my thoughts into words.  
  
Roman: I already told you Kate. We don't need to do the long good-bye thing.  
  
Kate: I'm not even doing the short good-bye. I'm not letting you leave.  
  
Roman: What? Kate, I can't do this song and dance with you. I realize where you stand. It isn't where I stand, and I've accepted it. I've become rather good at letting people go.  
  
Kate: But---I don't---I---  
  
Roman: Kate, if you can't even say what you've come to say, then we're both wasting our time here.  
  
Kate: No, no we're not, because I could learn to say what it is I want to say if you'd just give me more time.  
  
Roman: I can't give you anymore time, Kate. I'm leaving today. And don't think this is just a ploy to back you into a corner either. I wasn't even going to tell you about this until I was sure we weren't going anywhere. I don't want you making a commitment just because there's a possibility I won't be around.  
  
Kate: Roman---I, I don't want you to leave. This is so sudden. I thought I had more time. Now that I know I don't, I see things a lot clearer.  
  
Roman: Life does that, Kate. You should know that by now. I'm a patient man, but even I can't wait forever. This is for the best. Besides, with me gone, you can focus on reeling in men who're more your type.  
  
Kate: But you ARE my type! You always have been. I just wasn't willing to accept it, because that meant I'd have to trust you, I'd have to confide in you, I'd have to be vulnerable in front of you. Then you'd leave me, like everyone else, and I'd be back at square one. I'd find someone else and start the process all over again. That's my life, Roman. That's always been my life. You have no idea what that's like.  
  
Roman: I gave you chance after chance to break that cycle, Kate. I showered you compliments, I brought you flowers, I took you out, I cared about you, made love to you, was there for you. I couldn't do anymore than that! I gave everything I could, and you still treated me like dirt. You did to me what men have done to you your entire life. So don't tell me I don't know how you feel.  
  
Kate: (long silence) You're right. I don't have anything else to say, but you're right.  
  
Roman: Well, I'm glad we've managed to agree on something. Now if you'll excuse me. I have to finish packing.  
  
Kate: I'm not leaving. You're not either.  
  
Roman: Oh really? Well, these plane tickets say otherwise.  
  
Kate: You're not going.  
  
Roman: And what would happen if I stayed? Hmm? I'll tell you what would happen. We'd make nice, have a good time for a little while, then you'd lapse back into your old routine where I'm forced to play the heavy while you trivialize our relationship and my feelings. You'll continue to emotionally shut down, you'll continue to make light of my job and my salary, and you'll only acknowledge me when it fits into your schedule.  
  
Kate: I won't!  
  
Roman: Yes, you will! Kate, you can be such an amazing person sometimes. When you forget your fears and let down your guard, you're beautiful, and I see a woman that I could spend the rest of my life with. I've never felt that way about anyone like that since Marlena. But I can't live on and build a relationship based on the person you are only ten percent of the time. It's been that ten percent that kept me coming back, but I can't do it anymore. I won't do it anymore.  
  
Kate: Roman, I understand your frustration. I've given you every reason in the world to lose interest in me, but you never did. You still haven't, and the fact that you considered not taking an assignment for me---that you thought about turning down doing something you love to stay here with me--- I just can't believe it. I've lived in a man's world for so long, and to be taken seriously as a woman, I've had to remain this emotionally vacant person. That's why this isn't easy for me---expressing feelings and weaknesses. I'm not used to it, so I'm not good at it. But you---you're just the biggest surprise of my life. How can I let something that real just---leave? I can't. I want you to stay. You have to believe that, and even if you don't right away, at least stick around for a while to let me prove it to you. I may do a lot of things wrong, but I don't make promises unless I know I can keep them, and I promise you, you won't regret this.  
  
Roman: (deep in thought) Well---you really have presented me with quite a case.  
  
Kate: Call Shane. Tell him you've changed your mind. Please, Roman. I love you. If you leave, I'll never forgive myself.  
  
Roman: Wait, say that again?  
  
Kate: I'll never forgive myself.  
  
Roman: No, the part just before that.  
  
Kate: I love you.  
  
Roman: (looking around) Is one of your kids standing behind me?  
  
Kate: (smiles) Shut up.  
  
Roman: Do you know how long I've waited to hear those words said to that name again?  
  
Kate: Sooo? Will you stay?  
  
Roman: Ya' know, you show up here in your short skirt with your teary eyes spouting off "I love you's", and I'm being suckered into doing a 180. (long pause, he thinks) You promise you won't make a fool out of me if I do stay?  
  
Kate: I swear. I swear on my good pearls!  
  
Roman: Ha, well then it MUST be true! (Kate rushes over and hugs him)  
  
Kate: You leaving gave me the scare of my life.  
  
Roman: Ironic seeing as I thought I WAS the scare of your life.  
  
Kate: No. I thought you were, but I suppose even Kate Roberts can be wrong sometimes. At the risk of sounding cheesy, you saved my life. Is it even possible to return a favor that huge?  
  
Roman: (pulls her in towards him and kisses her mouth) I think I'll look forward to watching you try. 


End file.
